Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay. Real life and all that jazz.
"You know how you sometimes ask a question, but you don't really expect an answer?" Nosedive asked.
"Yeah," Duke answered.
"What's that called?" Nosedive questioned.
"Rhetorical," Duke replied.
"So that question I had about things getting weirder earlier? That was rhetorical."
"That'll learn ya," Duke snorted as he turned away from the strange scene in the infirmary. "Have fun. I'll relieve you in an hour."
Nosedive couldn't stop staring at the bed. After finishing eating the harpy feathers, the salamander had crawled into the bed with Ruby. That had been an hour ago and the creature that had climbed into the bed with the mage had just looked like a giant salamander. The being that the mage was cuddling was a lot different.
The salamander now looked like something between a typical salamander and, for lack of a better term, a dragon, but with no wings. Oh, and it had grown, so now its tail was trailing on the floor. In fact, there was barely any room on the mattress for the two of them.
If that wasn't strange enough, the sylph had invited some of her friends along. Actually, she had invited a lot of her friends. The medical bay was now teaming with small flying things zipping around the room. A bunch of them were having a blast floating above the salamander as his natural heat created an updraft for them.
Then there were the earth things crawling around. They had come up through the floor in the next room and there was now a bunch of dirt with plants and flowers surrounding the hole. Tanya was going to have a fit when she saw what they did to her lab.
Most of the earth creatures were climbing all over the bed and plants were popping up in the strangest places. Those critters he could handle since they weren't invading his personal space. However, there were other strange beings running around that were obviously neat freaks.
Nosedive had liked his room the way it was, but some of the critters had gotten in there and cleaned it until it sparkled. It was going to take him a week to get it back the way it was, provided they could get rid of those cleaning pests. On the plus side, they were currently cleaning the kitchen, so he wouldn't have to do that job.
With a sigh, Nosedive sat down and turned on the TV with the volume turned down. He channel surfed until he found a cartoon that he liked. He nearly jumped out of his feathers when one of the flying things landed on his knee and looked up at him. He tried to ignore the creature that looked like a miniature human with leaves for clothes and dragonfly wings.
What are you doing? it asked.
Though it sounded female, it was hard to tell. The higher pitched voice might just because of the size of the creature, not the gender.
"I'm watching Bernie the Bear," Nosedive answered.
What is that strange box? it questioned.
"It's a TV," Nosedive replied.
What's a TV? it inquired.
Nosedive sighed again and checked the time. Duke had warned him about the curiosity of the flying critters. He had a feeling that his hour of watching Ruby was going to drag on forever.
How much longer before Wildwing and the others got back?
Wildwing dragged down another load of scrap metal to the Migrator and dumped it in the back with the rest. He was exhausted, but his determination kept him going. They were going to clean up that meadow one way or another.
He tried not to think about why he felt so strongly about that. If he did think about it, it would have lead him to a very uncomfortable conclusion. Luckily for him, exhaustion was a good way to numb the mind.
He stepped back into the meadow a few minutes after making his delivery and looked around. There was still a small pile of scrap metal off to the side, but the place appeared to be clear. The meadow looked like it had been rotor tilled, but at least the small waterfall was flowing again.
"Short of going over every inch with, you know, an industrial strength magnet, I think we've got everything," Tanya told her captain as she and the others joined Wildwing by the last pile of drone bits.
And for that, I thank you, a deep male voice stated.
Wildwing watched as the other three gasped and spun around. When they spotted the speaker, their eyes about fell out of their heads and their beaks dropped open. The Forest Lord struck a pose as the light reflected off of his white coat and he glowed with a warm reddish-orange of the setting sun. He almost looked like he was on fire.
"I was wondering when you'd show up," Wildwing grumbled to the stag.
I had not expected you to return, the earth Elemental said. I had not set you with the task of cleaning up the meadow.
"No, you were making Ruby do it by herself," Wildwing growled.
She had the salamander, the Forest Lord pointed out. And she had you.
"I hardly call something that was barely two feet long helpful and me being here was sheer dumb luck," Wildwing retorted. "The meadow is cleaned up. You can leave her alone now."
Not yet, the stag replied with a maddening calmness. There is one more task I need her to perform, but it will wait until after her voice is healed.
"And what would that be?" Wildwing demanded. "Why can't we do it?"
It will require her magic, the Forest Lord responded smugly as he turned to leave. Come with her and find out. It would be a good idea if she wore something a bit more fire proof when she returns.
"There was a harpy!" Wildwing nearly yelled.
That got the Forest Lord's attention. The stag swung back around, his ears flat against his head, the whites of his eyes visible and his nostrils flared. In a move that was too fast to follow, the earth Elemental was suddenly towering over Wildwing.
Tell me what happened, the Forest Lord demanded.
Without backing down to a creature that dwarfed Grin, Wildwing told The earth Elemental everything about the harpy, from the time the creature had appeared as a beautiful being to her defeat by the Mighty Ducks and the salamander. By the time Wildwing was done, the Forest Lord looked only slightly appeased.
I was afraid that this would happen, the stag stated unhappily. The Elementals who would do harm are starting to wake. They will try and control her.
"Sort of like you," Wildwing grumbled and then found himself muzzle to beak with the earth Elemental.
My bond with her is what protected her from the harpy, the Forest Lord growled. I wish to keep her safe, while others would make her their slave.
Before Wildwing could even open his beak, the stag turned and leaped away. Wildwing was not a happy camper, but there was nothing he could do about it. That creature had a hold of Ruby and for some strange reason, that really irked the large, white duck.
Without a word to his team, Wildwing picked up the crate with the last of the scrap metal in it and headed back down the hill. The other three stared after him, still in shock. Then, Mallory scowled.
"What is Wildwing's deal about this blue beak?" Mallory grumbled.
"He's got it, you know, bad," Tanya quietly replied.
"He is confused by his feelings," Grin added.
"Feelings for that thing?" Mallory demanded. "He's falling for that creature? For Ruby?"
"Appears so," Tanya answered as she picked up the equipment she used to cut the slab down to more manageable pieces.
"But she's a freak and she took the mask!" Mallory snapped. "How can he possibly fall for a blue beak?"
"The heart doesn't see with the eyes," Grin responded as he picked up the last of their gear and headed down the hill.
As Wildwing helped the others unload the scrap metal from the Migrator, one of the pieces dropped onto the ground at his feet. He picked it up and frowned at it. It was similar to the piece that he had used to dig out the large slab of metal back at the meadow. The one Ruby had had the salamander melt.
"Hey, Tanya?" Wildwing called.
"Yeah?" Tanya replied as she dumped her load onto the pile they were making at the recyclers.
"I want you to analyze this chest piece," he instructed while picked up a small piece of the large slab that Tanya had cut down. "Compare it to this."
"Sure," She said as she took the hunks of metal from him. "What am I looking for?"
"I'm not entirely sure," he answered. "Just see what you can find. See if there's any difference between it and this melted piece."
"Ok," she responded with a shrug.
Once they were done unloading the rest of the scrap metal, the four tired ducks climbed back into the battle van and headed home. As soon as they were back, Mallory and Grin went in search of their showers while Tanya headed for her lab. Wildwing wished he could go take a shower and then fall beak first into his bunk. However, he felt he better check in on their 'guest' and the two ducks he left behind to watch her.
Wildwing found Duke and Nosedive outside the medical bay staring in through the door. Before the captain could ask them why they were in the hallway, something flew out of the room, giggling hysterically as it zipped down the corridor. A moment later, dozens more small flying things swarmed after the first one.
"Dare I ask?" Wildwing questioned.
"The sylph brought her friends," Duke replied as something squeaked next to Wildwing's feet.
Wildwing looked down and saw some little man with skin the color of dirt and wearing a smock over what appeared to be clothes weaved from grass and an acorn cap. It had a rag in its hand and was vigorously cleaning Wildwing's boot. A second later, several more of the things came out and started cleaning the floor behind the large white duck who could see that he had left behind a little bit of dirt as he walked down the hallway.
"What..." Wildwing started.
"Not sure, but they sure do like to clean," Nosedive stated. "I don't think the kitchen or bathrooms have looked that good since we moved in."
"You want to tell him about the other ones?" Duke asked Nosedive.
"YOU TWO!" Tanya yelled, baring down on the two males.
"We didn't do it!" Nosedive yelped as he hid behind Duke.
"What happened to my lab!?" Tanya shouted, looking for all the world like she was going to pluck someone.
"Seems the earth Elementals decided to come up through the floor in your lab," Duke explained as he grabbed Nosedive and dragged him back toward the angry scientist.
"And you two didn't feel like stopping them!?" she demanded.
"How!?" Nosedive questioned.
"What happened?" Wildwing asked.
"There's, like, a big hole in the middle of the floor and a jungle growing in there!" Tanya exclaimed, obviously upset.
"Let's see how bad it is," Wildwing suggested and Tanya led him back to her lab.
"So, does this mean we don't have to watch over her anymore?" Nosedive asked once they were gone.
"Don't bet on it," Duke sighed.
"Man, this so bites," Nosedive grumbled.
With a groan, Nosedive looked in the infirmary and just shook his head. The place was packed from floor to ceiling with Elementals of every type he could imagine and few he would have never dreamed of. How could one duck cause so much mayhem even when she was asleep?
Ruby woke up feeling like she had been run over by a Zamboni machine. Everything hurt and she wished she could sink back into oblivion. Unfortunately, she needed to find a bathroom and her throat felt like she had swallowed a flaming sword.
She slowly opened her eyes and found herself staring at a bright yellow eye with a slitted pupil. She slightly frowned as her brain tried to process who's eye that could be. The salamander's eye had a round pupil. Didn't it?
Don't make a sound, the salamander's voice instructed. He's sleeping on the floor behind me. Get off on your side of the bed.
She carefully extracted herself from the large, warm body she had been hugging and got out of the bed as quietly as she could. It took a lot of effort not to groan from the sore muscles that objected to her moving. Then she got a good look at the salamander and had to suppress a gasp.
I'll explain later, the dragon like creature said as he practically oozed out of the bed. Follow me. I know where an exit is.
He slithered out the door and she started to go after him. She glanced over at the mattress on the floor next to the bed and stopped dead. Wildwing was there, flat on his back and the blanket covered only the lower half of him.
He had no shirt on and her breath caught in her throat while her heart did a strange little dance in her chest. She had seen good looking ducks before, but she had never had a reaction like that. She couldn't move, just stare.
Will you please hurry up, the salamander snapped from the doorway.
She tore her gaze away from the fine specimen of a duck and quickly left the room. The salamander led her down the hallway and she could see scorch marks on the wall and floor. She frowned at them, but said nothing. She would get answers later.
She saw other doors leading off of the hallway and she looked in them in hopes of finding a restroom. Luckily, she found one and slipped in as quietly as she could. She finished her business, got a quick drink of water and managed to not have a heart attack when she looked at herself in the mirror. She was a complete mess.
She left the room and found the salamander waiting for her with a scowl on his face and his tail twitching. She glared right back at him and he turned with a huff. He lead her to a giant room filled with vehicles and her eyes bulged at the shear number of machines they had.
The salamander went over to one of the motorcycles and she hoped it was the right one. There were six of the crazy things. She remembered that Wildwing had put her bag under the seat, so she tried to find out how it opened. She was quickly becoming frustrated as she couldn't find the latch and she was too tired to try and find it with magic.
"The latch is under the seat, near the back," Wildwing quietly told her.
She gasped and spun around to stare at the owner of that voice. She instantly regretted it. He hadn't put a shirt on and he was wearing sleeping pants that did nothing to hide the shape of his powerful thighs.
"Not that getting it open will do you any good," Wildwing continued, seemingly oblivious to the effect he was having on her. "I put your bag with all of your things in it in the safe."
Then you can just go and get it, the salamander snarled as the reptilian creature got between the two ducks. We're leaving.
"It's late and I'm wiped out," Wildwing stated while he rubbed his hands over his face. "It wouldn't be safe for me to take you back to your hotel."
We can walk, the salamander growled.
"Listen, it's the middle of the night, it's not safe for her to be out there walking across town," Wildwing replied, finally turning his attention to the large fire Elemental. "She doesn't look like she could hold off a friendly Elemental, much less a hostile one."
She has me to keep her safe, the salamander hissed in anger as his flames burned brighter and the heat intensified.
"The Forest Lord said that the nasty Elementals are starting to wake up," Wildwing pointed out and that did anything but appease the fire Elemental. "You were able to hold off that harpy with our help. What if more than one attack her?"
Before the salamander could respond, they heard a strange gurgling sound come from Ruby. She put her hand over her stomach and looked like she wanted to crawl into the storage space under the seat of the Duckcycle.
"Come on, let's get you something to eat," Wildwing offered as he started to turn away.
Ruby begun to follow, only to be cut off by the salamander. They glared at each other for a minute and then she walked around the large, red creature. Wildwing turned and lead her to the kitchen, not sure why he was glad why she was sticking around.